Electromagnetic relay with multiple contact spring sets



NOV. 18, 1969 w N N ET AL 3,479,623

ELECTROMAGNETIC RELAY WITH MULTIPLE CONTACT SPRING SETS Original Filed May 2, 1966 iaxiwdzu ATTYS.

United States Patent 3,479,623 ELECTROMAGNETIC RELAY WITH MULTIPLE CONTACT SPRING SETS Werner Lindner, Neuried, and Herbert Krautwald and Helmut Schedele, Munich, Germany, assignors to Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, a corporation of Germany Continuation of application Ser. No. 546,693, May 2, 1966. This application Dec. 16, 1968, Ser. No. 800,021 Claims priority, applicsati9o6n9gl7ermany, May 5, 1965,

Int. Cl. Htllh 67/02 US. Cl. 335-129 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application is a continuation of case 546,693, filed May 2, 1966, now abandoned.

The invention relates to an electromagnetic relay with multiple contact spring sets, whose movable contact springs are controllable by an operating member, actuated by the relay armature, which is movable transversely to the longitudinal extension of the contact springs.

Known relays of this type employ a contact spring bank which consists of a plurality of individual parts which are necessarily affected with more or less great dimensional tolerances. The more extensive such a spring bank is with respect to the number of contact springs contained therein, the more serious are the effects of dimensional differences of the laminated spring banks, since the tolerances of the individual parts are cumulative. These dimensional differences lead to the result that in the final assembly variations are produced in the spacings of the various contact springs and, thereby, also the effective contact forces. Consequently, in known relays, especially those employing a multiple contact spring bank, it is necessary that an adjustment be made following the assembling of the spring bank. The tolerances thereby present can be balanced and the requisite contact forces established. In mass production, however, the resulting adjusting time required becomes such a factor that is not tolerable in comparison to the basic manufacturing time of the relay. There has long existed, therefore, in relay manufacturing the unfulfilled objective that adjusting operations be reduced to a minimum if not completely eliminated.

This requirement can be achieved, in an electromagnetic relay of the type initially described, by an arrangement in which each spring set, preferably a switchover or double-throw contact set, or a pair thereof, form a separately mountable contact unit with a plurality of such contact units, controllable from a common operating member, forming a multiple contact spring bank. The special advantage of an arrangement according to the invention, achieved through the module principle utilized, is that the dimensional tolerances of the individual contact units are not cumulative. Therefore, a relatively large number of contact units can be arranged without difficulty, one behind the other, in which case the operation of the contact spring sets takes place through a common operating member, whose operational dimensions are fixed to suitable tolerances.

ice

An expedient form of construction embodying the invention provides, for the mounting of the separately mountable contact units and of the unit forming the electromagnetic system, a U-shaped resilient carrier which preferably consists of a non-magnetic material. For the separate affixing of the individual contact units to the carrier, recesses are provided and arranged within close tolerances, into which corresponding additional elements of the contact units, preferably in the form of pins, are disposed. Such recesses can be constructed, for example, as respective holes or slots.

It is advantageous to attach the contact units to the two shanks or legs of the carrier at the inner faces thereof, in interlocked and clamped relation. In order with certainty to achieve a tight interlocked connection of the contact units with the U-shaped carrier, it is possible to provide special spring members, whereby the pins of the contact units will be firmly and accurately positioned between the two shanks within the recesses provided therein.

In a further development of the invention there can be attached to the U-shaped carrier several electromagnetic units with the corresponding contact units, so that relay bars of any desired length may be produced. Expediently the terminals of the contact units can be arranged in a desired raster or pattern, and likewise such terminals can be designed as soldered or plug connections.

Further details of the invention will be apparent from the following description of an example of construction thereof and the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a relay arrangement embodying the invention, with a portion of the carrier being broken away; and

FIG. 2 is a transverse section through the carrier with the contact units illustrated in elevation.

The relay arrangement as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is provided with six contact units and the unit forming the cooperable electromagnetic system, three of the contact units being visible in FIG. 1, Where the carrier is broken away.

The electromagnetic relay, having a multiple contact spring bank comprises, in the example of construction illustrated, six contact units K, each provided with a pair of spring sets, each of which is illustrated as of the single pole, double throw type. The fixed contact springs bear the reference symbols k1 and k3, respectively, while the movable contact spring, operable by an actuating member B, is designated as k2. The contact springs k1, k2 and k3 of each unit K are supported in a mounting structure with terminals extending therefrom, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The actuating member B, in operation, is moved in the direction of the arrow by the relay armature RA, when the electromagnetic system EM (appearing in broken lines) is connected to a control voltage.

The contact units are supported in a carrier T, which is of U-shape in transverse cross section, by interlocked and clamped connection. For this purpose the two shanks or legs T1 and T2 of the U-shaped carrier T are resiliently constructed. For the mounting of the contact units K and the unit forming the electromagnetic system EM, the shanks T1 and T2 are provided with recesses A, which in the embodiment illustrated are designed as round or elongated holes, the manufacture of which recesses can be effected with very close tolerances. Each of the respective contact units and the magnetic system EM carry a plurality of projections, which are illustrated in the form of pins Z. To insure that the pins Z will be firmly seated in the recesses A of the shanks T1 and T2, spring members are provided, which, in the present example of construction, are defined by parallel slits PS. Thus the connecting portions remaining between the recesses A and the parallel slits PS provide a more or less resilient gripping action on the pins Z of the contact devices K, whereby a firm connection there between is achieved.

It is thus a very simple matter to arrange such contact and magnetic system units on the same U-shaped carrier in any desired number, one behind the other, as complete individual relays, whereby a so-called relay bar is produced in which there can be achieved an especially favorable subdivision of space as well as the freedom from adjustment of the respective individual contact units. It also is thereby possible to so select the division and arrangement of the terminals for the contact units and the coil terminals of the magnetic units, which may be constructed as solder or plug connections, that the terminals are disposed in a desired raster or pattern.

Changes may be made with in the scope and spirit of the appended claims which define what is believed to be new and desired to have protected by Letters Patent.

We claim as our invention:

1. An electromagnetic relay comprising:

a common carrier;

a plurality of individual, independently mountable contact units,

each of said units having a set of at least two contact springs with one of said contact springs being movable,

each of said units being mounted on said common carrier in a line generally parallel to the normal direction of movement of said movable springs,

an electromagnetic system having an armature, an

actuating member attached to said armature and engageable with the movable spring of each of said contact units to transfer movement of said armature thereto, and

said common carrier having a series of recesses formed therein alongside said line of units, each of said units having projections cooperable with said recesses to fixedly position said units in a given relationship with each other.

2. An electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, wherein said carrier has a generally U-shaped transverse cross section with the oppositely disposed shank portions thereof being relatively resilient and adapted to receive said contact units therebetween said shanks exert clamping forces on said units.

3. An electromagnetic relay comprising:

a common carrier,

a plurality of individual independently mountable contact units supported on said common carrier, each of said units having a set of at least two leaf spring contacts with one of said contacts being movable,

each of said units being mounted on said common carrier in a line generally parallel to the normal direction of movement of said leaf springs,

said common carrier having a series of recesses formed therein alongside said line of units,

each of said units having means associated therewith for being received within one of said recesses to fixedly position said units in a given relationship with each other,

an actuator member connected to each of said one movable contact of each unit, and

means for operating the same to cause substantially equal and simultaneous movement of said movable contacts.

4. An electromagnetic relay having sets of multiple contact springs, the movable contact springs of which are controllable through an actuating member whose movement transversely to the longitudinal extension of the contact springs is controlled by the armature of the electromagnetic system, comprising:

a common carrier and a plurality of individual independently mountable contact units,

said carrier being generally U-shaped in transverse cross section with the oppositely disposed shank portions thereof being relatively resilient and adapted to receive said contact units therebetween whereby said shanks exert clamping force on said units,

each of the latter having at least one contact set carried thereby,

said units being assembled in adjacent relation on said common carrier with one contact set of each unit being in operative alignment and controllable by the common actuating member operable by the relay armature,

cooperable means on each contact unit and the carrier for maintaining said units in fixed operative relation with respect to each other whereby the contact units form a multiple contact bank,

said contact units having pins cooperable with holes formed in the shanks of the carrier member,

said holes being located in the shanks with close tolerances, and

certain holes associated with each contact unit being cylindrical and others associated with said contact unit being elongated slots, portions of the shanks of said carrier adjacent to said holes being removed whereby a portion of a sidewall of each hole is relatively resilient and adapted to apply compression forces on the pin disposed in such hole to firmly retain such pin therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,665,353 1/1954 Popp. 3,242,285 3/ 1966 Obszarny et al. 3,270,301 8/ 1966 Bengtsson.

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner H. BROOME, Assistant Examiner 3 33 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 479, 623 Dated November 18, 1969 Inventor(s) Werner Lindner, Herbert Krautwald and Helmut Schedele It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

C01. 3, line 15, "with in" should read -within--;

line 43, after "therebetween" insert --whercby-.

SlGNED AND SEALED 3 JUN 231970 6 Anew EdmmlM. Fletch.

WILLIAM B. W, JR Officer flomissione'r of Patents 

